Showing posts with label mount stewart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mount stewart. Show all posts

Tuesday, 25 May 2010

Bird Houses

I spotted these on Sunday and I just fell in love with them. The colors and arrangement whisked me all the way to New England. They have fab blue slate roofs. Unfortunately the birds around here will have to wait for a slightly cheaper hotel.

They also had this chicken coup on show.Definitely a penthouse apartment for chickens.

If you want to have a look at some more, check out chic-hen's website here.

Sunday, 23 May 2010

A selection of pictures from Mount Stewart

The calm before the storm first thing in the morning.

All set up, ready to go. Where is breakfast?


My table. I try on these smaller tables to hold back and not put too much stuff out but I'm not always too sucessful.
Pretty baguettes, really like this navy japanese fabric.

 
A few little zipper pouches.


My petite baguettes, with new chains. Love them, want one for myself.

Saturday, 15 May 2010

Projects

I should be preparing for Mount Stewart craft fair but my mind is else where. Mainly at work :(, but occasionally wondering to other things. A sneak peek.....

Thursday, 25 March 2010

Craft Fair

I don't do many fairs at this time of the year, I'm not sure there is a huge market for clutches just before the summer, but last year I attended Mount Stewart Garden and Craft Fair. I would be truthful in saying I didn't enjoy it last year as it lashed with rain and was freezing which was unusual even for here in May. It wasn't that busy (although I think that was to do with the weather) and quite expensive so I was adamant I was not going this year, but I relented, mainly because it gave me really good contacts.

So I applied this year again, and I have been successful. It's on 22 &23 May so I really am going to have to get passed my sewers block now.

Wednesday, 20 May 2009

Craft Fair - An update and a ponder

As regular readers will know I was attending a craft fair at the weekend. It was situated in the lovely grounds of Mount Stewart, which is a national trust property. It was an outdoor craft and garden fair, with the option of trading in a marquee. I opted for a marque stall.


To say the weather didn't work in our favour was a little of an understatement. It rained most of the first day and when it wasn't wet it was so windy, we thought the marquee might take off. This did not encourage visitors. The second day was so cold in the morning it was like a winters day in November, certainly not like a day in late spring. I spent most of the morning wrapped up in a fleece and my waterproof coat (even my husband was cold and he's a polar bear), clutching coffee. Of course our thermos flask decided it wasn't going to keep the water warm, so many trips to the coffee stand was required. It did eventually brighten and warm up a little.

Trading on both days was slow for all, with some of the traders complaining it hadn't been so slow for over 7 years. I would admit that although my bags would be considered a luxury item, I sold enough to just about justify being there. I did meet lots of lovely people (& many pretty dogs). I made a few contacts and even got an invite or two to a few other craft fairs.

It is one of the big problems about doing a craft fair for the first time, you don't know what to expect or what products will sell well. I feel that after people had paid a hefty £7.50 ($11) to get in, they wanted to look around and only make smaller purchases. I did go home on the Saturday night and make another 10 mini clutches to boost that group, which sold well.

Whether I would go again or not, I'm not sure. I don't really want to misjudge it on one wash-out of a weekend but I did put a lot of work in preparing and I'm not sure from that point of view if it was worth it. I am left with a lot of stock, which while it will not go to waste and many pieces have already been listed in my shop, is unusual. I don't usually like to have so much of my resources tied up in stock. Upside is I have already had a little rush of sales.

A return to Mount Stewart is one that I will have to ponder over for a while.